22 replies to this topic

[quantumofsolace]

http://www.denofgeek...only-live-twice

[freemo]

Re: the "Connery looks bored" thing, while YOLT is certainly Connery’s least dynamic turn as James Bond, I think a more forceful lead performance would have been at odds with the style and tempo and flow of the film.

 

Anything more, would have clashed with the ambiance, swimming against the current. Anything less, would have disappeared into the spectacle, drowning in the rip. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE swings back and forth between bombastic and stillness, between epic and intimate. Connery is strong enough to keeps his head above water through the epic, and smart enough to go with the flow with the intimate.

 

Connery is smart (smart enough not to try to compete with an exploding fortress of doom, anyway). He sees what each film requires of him and that’s what he delivers. DR. NO: hard and rough, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: soft and smooth, GOLDFINGER: charming and twinkling, THUNDERBALL: confident awesomeness, YOU ONLY TWICE: the sail, DIAMOND ARE FOREVER: the anchor.

[Major Tallon]

Chicago film critic Roger Ebert gave YOLT a negative review on initial release (earning my grumpiness until he praised OHMSS two years later), but I recall his take on Connery:  "Connery labors mightily."  Today, many fans think he looked bored (and perhaps someone will come up with some contemporaneous reviews saying so), but I can't recall anyone advancing that criticism at the time. 

[Jim]

Re: the "Connery looks bored" thing, while YOLT is certainly Connery’s least dynamic turn as James Bond, I think a more forceful lead performance would have been at odds with the style and tempo and flow of the film.

 

Anything more, would have clashed with the ambiance, swimming against the current. Anything less, would have disappeared into the spectacle, drowning in the rip. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE swings back and forth between bombastic and stillness, between epic and intimate. Connery is strong enough to keeps his head above water through the epic, and smart enough to go with the flow with the intimate.

 

Connery is smart (smart enough not to try to compete with an exploding fortress of doom, anyway). He sees what each film requires of him and that’s what he delivers. DR. NO: hard and rough, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: soft and smooth, GOLDFINGER: charming and twinkling, THUNDERBALL: confident awesomeness, YOU ONLY TWICE: the sail, DIAMOND ARE FOREVER: the anchor.

 

Agreed. How anyone could look bored with all the madness going on is mystifying. "Annoyed that he's not the centre of attention" is probably closer. Still, a schtill schmall voice of calm given all the nonsense going on around him. Audience needs a touchstone otherwise the film's wholly out of control. Put a new Bond and not an experienced one in the middle of all this, and it'd be a disaster.

[dtuba]

Connery was bored. The lifeless script for YOLT gave him very little to do. Or any of the other humans in the film for that matter.

 

Good Denofgeek article. I agree about Helga and Kissy, but not Aki. She's awesome, with that little sportcar. We could all use an Aki to drop by and pick us up every time we're in a corner. Plus I love, love love that Akiko Wakabayashi was not dubbed by a voice actress like so many other Bond girls were of the time. (As was, regrettably, Tesuro Tamba as Tiger Tanaka. Dubbed by an Italian man doing a "Japanese" accent...shudder.)

[Revelator]

The Connery-is-bored trope has become conventional wisdom, but not everyone subscribed to it. Here's Pauline Kael's capsule review:

 

The fifth of the Bonds, it can easily be differentiated from the others because it's the Japanese one. It's a product, but probably the most consistently entertaining of the Bond packages up to the time--not as startling as parts of GOLDFINGER but much superior to THUNDERBALL. Ken Adam's sci-fi production designs (including a hollow volcano) seem almost perfectly calculated for the genre. Lewis Gilbert is a rather more humanistic director than his predecessors and he's a reasonably efficient traffic manager; he doesn't let the actors loiter on the sets too long. And Sean Connery's James Bond isn't the sleek, greasy-lipped dummy of the earlier films; playing the super-hero as a paunchy, rather bemused spectator, Connery gives him more character than he's ever had before. This casual, human Bond is rather tender in his sex relationships--one might almost call them love relationships this time. The Roald Dahl screenplay (out of Jules Verne and old movies) is clever enough, and Donald Pleasence, as Blofeld, pets his white cat ominously.

[Turn]

That type of review is why I've never bought into the notion of Pauline Kael as this critic among critics as many do. Show me where Connery gives Bond more character than before. I think of all the films that you could put almost any other hero in that didn't have to be Bond into YOLT and not really miss a beat. Tender in sex relationships? I guess cutting off Miss Brandt's dress straps instead of ripping it off her must count. No, he doesn't force himself on anyone, but I don't see him as a Nicholas Sparks character either.

 

No, Gilbert doesn't let his actors linger on the sets too long because the script is more interested in the next vehicle or action scene to get them to. The only part I really agree with is about Ken Adam's production designs being almost perfectly calculated for the genre.

[SecretAgentFan]

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (re-watch):

 

Very entertaining, I must say.  Especially the first half is terrific, and the elements that are often described as gimmicky or too far-fetched actually work pretty well for me.  I can´t even say that Connery gives a subpar performance - on the contrary, he is a self-assured, slightly calmer than usual presence that grounds the over-the-top elements.  The film is photographed beautifully, and the score is one of Barry´s and Bond´s best.  The marriage sequence drags a bit, yet it helps to give the film atmosphere.  I prefer this film to THUNDERBALL, I must say.  There´s more adventure and more diverse ideas of spectacle.  And the suspense and tension because of the threatening of World War III is palpable and so much better developed than the threat of atomic bombs in THUNDERBALL. 

 

YOLT is often criticized for being the first Bond going too far, becoming fantasy rather than a spy film.  A wrong assessment, IMO.  Sure, the hollowed-out-volcano must have been a bitch to build, and the surveillance footage from space and air must also have been tricky to achieve... but the rest is rather down-to-earth and a straight espionage story.

 

THUNDERBALL had the swagger, and I liked that.  But YOLT is a story better told.

 

Interestingly, having Lewis Gilbert become a Bond director after the critically acclaimed "Alfie" mirrors EON´s success in landing high profile directors later on as well.  

[Call Billy Bob]

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (re-watch):
 
Very entertaining, I must say.  Especially the first half is terrific, and the elements that are often described as gimmicky or too far-fetched actually work pretty well for me.  I can´t even say that Connery gives a subpar performance - on the contrary, he is a self-assured, slightly calmer than usual presence that grounds the over-the-top elements.  The film is photographed beautifully, and the score is one of Barry´s and Bond´s best.  The marriage sequence drags a bit, yet it helps to give the film atmosphere.  I prefer this film to THUNDERBALL, I must say.  There´s more adventure and more diverse ideas of spectacle.  And the suspense and tension because of the threatening of World War III is palpable and so much better developed than the threat of atomic bombs in THUNDERBALL. 
 
YOLT is often criticized for being the first Bond going too far, becoming fantasy rather than a spy film.  A wrong assessment, IMO.  Sure, the hollowed-out-volcano must have been a bitch to build, and the surveillance footage from space and air must also have been tricky to achieve... but the rest is rather down-to-earth and a straight espionage story.
 
THUNDERBALL had the swagger, and I liked that.  But YOLT is a story better told.
 
Interestingly, having Lewis Gilbert become a Bond director after the critically acclaimed "Alfie" mirrors EON´s success in landing high profile directors later on as well.

A wonderful assessment, SAF! I agree on all fronts.

[DaveBond21]

I watched this back in January and these were my thoughts at the time:-

 

You can see why this would be such a spectacle in 1967 - there are so many things that cinema audiences were seeing for the first time, and it is such a futuristic looking movie, based around technology, that we sometimes forget that looking back 48 years on.

 

Things that would have had the audience rapt would have been:-

 

- Japan in general, and Japanese characters, seen in a mostly good light

 

- a safe cracker

 

- a car with a TV in it

 

- Tiger Tanaka's underground train

 

- the space scenes - the effects were good in 1967

 

- the volcano - an amazing set by Ken Adam, including the monorail

 

- Little Nellie and the helicopter fight - was there ever a helicopter battle in a film before this movie came out?

 

 

Also this time around, I found Connery's performance fine - actually reminded me of Daniel Craig's performance in Skyfall. This movie also features Craig's favourite 007 car - the Datsun.

[0072]

It's hard to disagree with many of the points made in this article.  However...

 

I still like it. 

 

And You Only Live Twice was my favourite Bond film for many years.  Just before I grew up and became more critically aware, that is...

[Double-Oh Agent]

 

I watched this back in January and these were my thoughts at the time:-

 

You can see why this would be such a spectacle in 1967 - there are so many things that cinema audiences were seeing for the first time, and it is such a futuristic looking movie, based around technology, that we sometimes forget that looking back 48 years on.

 

Things that would have had the audience rapt would have been:-

 

- Japan in general, and Japanese characters, seen in a mostly good light

 

- a safe cracker

 

- a car with a TV in it

 

- Tiger Tanaka's underground train

 

- the space scenes - the effects were good in 1967

 

- the volcano - an amazing set by Ken Adam, including the monorail

 

- Little Nellie and the helicopter fight - was there ever a helicopter battle in a film before this movie came out?

 

 

Also this time around, I found Connery's performance fine - actually reminded me of Daniel Craig's performance in Skyfall. This movie also features Craig's favourite 007 car - the Datsun.

 

Sorry Dave but I just have to point out that Aki's car is not a Datsun. It's a Toyota 2000GT--and it was the first Japanese convertible if I'm not mistaken. But yes You Only Live Twice was no doubt quite the spectacle in 1967.

[AMC Hornet]

I didn't see it until 1972, and it was still an innovative spectacle then.

[DaveBond21]

 

 

I watched this back in January and these were my thoughts at the time:-

 

You can see why this would be such a spectacle in 1967 - there are so many things that cinema audiences were seeing for the first time, and it is such a futuristic looking movie, based around technology, that we sometimes forget that looking back 48 years on.

 

Things that would have had the audience rapt would have been:-

 

- Japan in general, and Japanese characters, seen in a mostly good light

 

- a safe cracker

 

- a car with a TV in it

 

- Tiger Tanaka's underground train

 

- the space scenes - the effects were good in 1967

 

- the volcano - an amazing set by Ken Adam, including the monorail

 

- Little Nellie and the helicopter fight - was there ever a helicopter battle in a film before this movie came out?

 

 

Also this time around, I found Connery's performance fine - actually reminded me of Daniel Craig's performance in Skyfall. This movie also features Craig's favourite 007 car - the Datsun.

 

Sorry Dave but I just have to point out that Aki's car is not a Datsun. It's a Toyota 2000GT--and it was the first Japanese convertible if I'm not mistaken. But yes You Only Live Twice was no doubt quite the spectacle in 1967.

 

 

Thanks for the clarification.

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Double-Oh Agent]

No problem.

[DaveBond21]

It was interesting to hear Daniel Craig say that it was his favourite of all the Bond cars.

[Bondage007]

I finished watching this less than 10 minutes ago and, surprisingly, I enjoyed it!

 

It's a film you can't think hard (or at all) about. If you sit back and let the film take you on a ride, it is a lot of fun. The sets, the locations, music all give this film a great atmosphere.

 

Surprisingly, 5 movies into my marathon, I enjoyed this more than TB. YOLT's pacing and spectacle is much better, and I felt the score was integrated better with what was going on than in TB. And I'm a big fan of KKBB

 

It's flaws are well documented, but not many Bond films hold up to critical evaluation anyway.

[Trevelyan 006]

I've always believed You Only Live Twice was a vastly under-appreciated Bond film. With some many heavy hitting entries during the Connery years, I suppose it simply gets lost in the shuffle.

 

I've always been a fan.

[David_M]

I think it's entirely likely Connery was bored in YOLT, but it's just as likely he was simply tired.  At this point, he'd been on the Bond merry-go-round for years already, and things only kept getting more and more insane.  Between the constant, unwanted attentions of the press in general, his ridiculous treatment at the hands of the Japanese media in particular, his never-ending battles with the producers and a script that must have looked, to anyone with acting ambitions, like two hours of "now stand over here and push THIS button," I think he was just about at the end of his rope.  Certainly he seems less in shape than he was for TB (though not the wreck he was in DAF; I still can't believe he was only 41 in that one).

 

Having said all that, I loved YOLT as a kid for delivering the big sets, the gadgets, the explosions and the fight scenes, and I still love it for that stuff.   And obviously the music is just fantastic.

[tdalton]

Gave this one a rewatch the other night. Can't say that I came away from it with as favorable an impression as I did on my last rewatch of the entire franchise.

The biggest problem is that the story is just so flimsy. There really isn't anything to it, and Bond's actions in the first half really don't impact the film in any meaningful way, aside from getting Helga Brandt sent into the piranha tank. It's an awful lot like a Brosnan film in that way, as things just go from one set piece to another without much consequence. Bond would have never found Blofeld's volcano lair had he not passed by the funeral procession, which is a bit of blind luck quite late into the film.

As for Connery, I'm not sure bored is the right description for him. I think fed up is probably more in line with how things actually were. I'd be fairly fed up with things to if I were forced to star in this film, amidst all of the nonsense he had to deal with in Japan, that really didn't amount to him having to do much of anything of consequence. A good portion of the film is watching rockets blast into space and then being swallowed up by the Intruder rocket while seeing a hand stroke a white cat and bark menacing instructions in a rather nasally and annoying voice that is, quite honestly, not suitable for the role of Blofeld.

There are highlights. The fight in Osato's office, Bond escaping from the plane, but on the whole the story is just not sturdy enough to make for an overly entertaining film, despite its rather large stakes.

[Pierceuhhh]

Hugely underrated. No movie captures Bond's world better - he's walking along the street, the ground opens up beneath him, he slides down a stainless steel slide onto a couch, and it's the most normal thing in the world!

Complaining about silly logic gaps is missing the forest for the trees. This is the most atmospheric and majestic film and Gilbert does things other directors could only dream of. It follows a detective story format with easy-to-follow clues. My grandad could follow all Gilbert's movies easily and I have a lot of lovely memories of enjoying these with him. "1) A body came out of the tunnel 2) the tunnel must be toxic 3) it must lead to Blofeld"

Aki's murder alone is better than some entire Bond movies.

This is no. 2 or 3 on my list and falls in that 64-69 dream run!

[hilly]

You Only Live Twice is great fun.

Sure it has faults. Helga is a re-tread of Fiona Volpe, Connery's Japanese disguise is ludicrous and the plot is utterly ridiculous ( although clearly good enough to be rehashed for The Spy Who Loved Me a decade later).

However it looks spectacular, John Barry's score is fantastic, the set-pieces ( Little Nelly, the fight in Osato's office and the ninja raid on the volcano, to name but a few) are well done and the whole thing trots along and is hugely entertaining. Pleasance makes a visually striking Blofeld ( his piranha pool gave me nightmares as a kid) and Connery, whatever his misgivings at the time, is great.

 

Just sit back and enjoy it for what it is.

[TheREAL008]

Rewatched it over the holiday weekend and for me it held up well. Figuring in the factor of the martial arts movies and what japan were doing with Ultraman at the time, YOLT fits right alongside. 

Connery doesn't look bored, yet behind the eyes in interviews around the time you can see the fatigue setting in. He should have stuck to his convictions and let it be his final film instead of coming back for DAF...which for me IS the worst Bond movie. (NSNA isn't cannon and therefore shouldn't be considered a Bond flick.)